


madder red

by Cronomon



Category: Kagerou Project, Mekakucity Actors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-23
Updated: 2014-11-23
Packaged: 2018-02-26 16:59:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2659577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cronomon/pseuds/Cronomon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ayano Tateyama and her relationships within the Mekakushi Dan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	madder red

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Ayano's birthday (11/22) but I'm a little bit late with it...

**01**

Tsubomi liked sharing a bed with her big sister.

She would fall asleep next to the steady warmth of protection the older girl provided, promising drowsily to herself that someday she would be as brave and dependable as Ayano.

When nightmares struck, and they usually did, burning through her mind, devouring the scraps of peace she still had in this life, Tsubomi would snap her eyes open with a choked scream, and Ayano was instantly up and by her side.

Ayano hugged her and never let go.

Ayano rubbed her back, and spoke to her, and sang to her, and lay down next to her, and held her hand until morning came and they could both hear birds singing and breakfast cooking.

Tsubomi loved her big sister.

Someday, she swore, she would be just as strong as her.

**02**

Kousuke wanted to protect her.

Ayano, his sister, who had accepted him when she barely knew him, and reassured him, and helped him through his troubles, and promised them, all of them, that they weren’t monsters but _heroes_ , fighting for justice and defending the weak…

He wanted to protect her.

He wanted to prove to her that she was right.

He wanted to be someone she could be proud of.

She’d seen the scars once. He didn’t say anything, and she didn’t either, but he heard her anyway, heard her concern and fear and pure, undeniable love, and he understood.

Kousuke wanted to grow, and be every bit as reliable as her someday.

Someday he would be able to care for someone the same way she’d cared for him.

**03**

She was Shuuya’s most important person.

She saw his wounds, mended him, healed him, showed him what it meant to love and be loved.

He wanted to know that feeling forever, and he decided to follow her and chase that love forever.

Until one day, he couldn’t follow her, and she died, and her love died, and he broke again.

He remained broken, every day, and this time, no one noticed.

**04**

Mary met the wonderful big sister because of Kousuke.

Kousuke had introduced her to the world, had taught her that it could be a beautiful place despite its cruelty, but it was Ayano who welcomed her to the Dan.

Ayano brought her to the place where children who had known the brutality of the world, who had experienced it firsthand, strived and survived and sought a better tomorrow.

Ayano brought her to the place of her important friends, the people she would live for and live with a thousand times over.

Mary owed something to the wonderful big sister, and she cried knowing that she would never be able to give it.

**05**

Momo saw how the girl changed her brother.

Momo saw the smallest differences, the slightest shifts in attitude and demeanor that no one else did. She saw his frowns disappearing, his back straightening, his complaints lessening. She saw his mood lightening, just the tiniest bit, and a gleam in his eyes, just a hint of a spark.

She never met the girl, but she appreciated her, and hoped that she would continue taking care of him.

She knew the girl had failed when she saw her brother’s dark, dead eyes again.

**06**

Takane had made a promise to her underclassman, and then she’d broken it the same day.

Ene vowed to make up for it.

It was too late to fix the promise by now. It had shattered the moment Takane had died. But Ene could do something more.

Ene could become what Ayano had tried so hard to be.

Ene could do what Ayano had wanted more than anything to do.

Ene woke up and looked out of the screen and saw Shintaro staring back at her and she knew that this was it, this was her chance, if she couldn’t do anything else she had to at least do this for Ayano.

For Ayano, whom she later found out had died the very same day as Takane had.

All the more reason, Ene figured, and she erased Takane from her memory, and she became the character Ayano would have loved and Shintaro needed now more than ever.

**07**

Shintaro saw her as a nuisance.

She always followed him, talking so animatedly.

She always smiled at him, innocently, charmingly.

She lectured him about his attitude, begged him for his help, nagged him about his health, spoke to him, ate with him, cared for him, loved him.

She stayed with him no matter what he did or said.

Except she didn’t.

She left him, without even a word of goodbye.

And it was his fault.

**08**

Hibiya never knew her.

He heard stories about her though.

Kido, Seto, and Kano spoke with fondness and regret. Mary and Momo spoke with admiration. Even Ene and Shintaro’s voices became soft when she was brought up.

He heard of her kindness, and courage, and selflessness. He heard of her sacrifice, her resolve to press forward and continue fighting for the safety of her loved ones. He heard of her determination, and of her death.

She reminded him of Hiyori.

He thought that if that was the case, she must have been an incredible person.

**09**

Konoha didn’t remember her.

Hints of memories flashed by sometimes.

A smiling girl. A red scarf.

He couldn’t remember.

But Haruka did.

Haruka had smiled with her. Haruka had adored her.

A cheerful girl who tried her best even in the worst of circumstances.

Haruka had understood her. He had helped her when he could. He had asked her to rely on him, and she in turn had requested the same.

But Konoha didn’t remember.


End file.
